Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 5-Day Ainu Upopoy & Onsen Customizable Tour
Five days by car ferry to Hokkaido. Learn about Ainu culture at Upopoy, walk Noboribetsu's Hell Valley and see the volcanoes of Lake Toya.
Private · your group only◆5 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
The Ainu are the Indigenous people of Hokkaido. Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum and Park in Shiraoi, shares their language, crafts, dance and history. This tour joins it with the hot springs and volcanoes of the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark.
On Day 1 we drive from Tokyo to Oarai port, about 2 hours, and board the evening ferry. The crossing takes about 18 hours, in a cabin berth.
On Day 2 we arrive in Tomakomai in the afternoon and drive to Noboribetsu, about 1 hour. Before dinner we walk Jigokudani, Hell Valley, a steaming volcanic valley with sulphur vents. You stay in Noboribetsu Onsen.
On Day 3 we drive to Lake Toya, a round caldera lake with an island in the middle. We ride the Mt Usu ropeway to see an active volcano crater and Showa-shinzan, a mountain that rose from a wheat field in the 1940s. The ropeway is included. You stay at Lake Toya.
On Day 4 we visit Upopoy in Shiraoi. You see the museum, traditional houses and a dance performance. Entry is included. In the evening we board the ferry in Tomakomai, about 30 minutes away.
On Day 5 we arrive in Oarai around midday and drive back to Tokyo.
Upopoy is closed on Mondays and over New Year, so we plan Day 4 on an open day.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One van, 1 to 6 people, never shared. Your driver-guide speaks English, and also Hindi and Urdu.
If Upopoy is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead spend the day at the Toya-Usu Geopark sites and Lake Shikotsu.
DAY 1 Drive Tokyo to Oarai port, board the evening car ferry, night on the ferry
DAY 2 Arrive Tomakomai, Noboribetsu Jigokudani Hell Valley, stay in Noboribetsu Onsen
DAY 3 Lake Toya, Mt Usu ropeway, Showa-shinzan, stay at Lake Toya
DAY 4 Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park, night on the return ferry
DAY 5 Arrive Oarai, drive back to your Tokyo hotel
If the Mt Usu ropeway stops on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed.
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Learn Ainu culture at Upopoy National Ainu Museum
- Walk the steaming Hell Valley in Noboribetsu
- Ride the Mt Usu ropeway to an active volcano
- See Showa-shinzan, a mountain born in the 1940s
- Stay by Lake Toya, a round caldera lake
Said plainly
Private tour for 1 to 6 people in one van. Your driver-guide speaks English, Hindi and Urdu. The car ferry between Oarai (Ibaraki) and Tomakomai (Hokkaido) takes about 18 hours each way. Your nights on the ferry are in cabin berths, included. Ferries can be delayed by rough sea. Upopoy is closed on Mondays (or the next day after a holiday) and over New Year. The Mt Usu ropeway can stop in strong wind. If the Mt Usu ropeway stops on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. In winter roads are icy; our van has winter tyres. If Upopoy is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead spend the day at the Toya-Usu Geopark sites and Lake Shikotsu.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Learn Ainu culture at Upopoy National Ainu Museum
Walk the steaming Hell Valley in Noboribetsu
Ride the Mt Usu ropeway to an active volcano
See Showa-shinzan, a mountain born in the 1940s
Stay by Lake Toya, a round caldera lake
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Car ferry Oarai to Tomakomai and back, with cabin berths for both nights on board
- Upopoy entry
- Mt Usu ropeway round trip
Yours — paid on the day
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Noboribetsu Onsen and Lake Toya)
- Meals on the ferry
- Optional Lake Toya boat cruise
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
Plan a custom journeyYour private Japan day
Ready to reserve?
Choose a live date and complete secure payment in a few minutes.
From¥729,000
Check dates